


End Of Spring / Jin Yonghoon & Kang Hyungu

by Phoenixvvv



Category: ATEEZ (Band), Mamamoo, Monsta X (Band), ONEWE (Band), Pentagon (Korea Band), Stray Kids (Band), TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluffy Ending, How Do I Tag, M/M, Minor Character Death, Princes & Princesses, References to Shakespeare, Royalty, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29319030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoenixvvv/pseuds/Phoenixvvv
Summary: Jin Yonghoon, the Prince. His father has been begging and pleading him to settle down and get married to eventually take over the kingdom."Yonghoon, son, I won't be here forever you know!""Yes father, I know, but I need a little more time.."Kang Hyungu, the boy in rags at the market that somehow caught the Prince's eye."Father, hes the one I want."Started: 2/1/21Ended:Cross posted on Wattpad (@Phoenixvvv)
Relationships: Adachi Yuto/Jung Wooseok, Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix/Seo Changbin, Hwang Hyunjin/Seo Changbin, Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Jooheon, Im Nayeon/Yoo Jeongyeon, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Jin Yonghoon/Kang Hyungu | Kanghyun, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Kim Yongsun | Solar/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul, Lee Felix/Seo Changbin, Lee Giwook | Cya/Son Dongmyeong, Myoui Mina/Son Chaeyoung
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

♡

In a quaint kingdom far far away, there lived a King and Queen.

The King ruled with a gentle hand, and his wife was adored by the villagers.

There were hardly ever any wars, and they were in good spirits with neighboring kingdoms.

The kingdom was buzzing with excitement, as they had just recieved the news that the Queen was with child.

"I wonder if the child will be a male or female?" One villager asked the baker.

"With the luck we've had in this kingdom, the child will most likely be a boy." The baker said, gently wrapping a loaf up in a medium white linen cloth and handing to to the villager.

"That may be true but I think the pattern will change." She said, grabbing the cloth covered loaf and placing a few coins into a tiny dish.

"No way," a passerby said, "it's been men for the past thirteen years and it'll probably continue to be men for the next thirteen years." He continued, stopping in his tracks and picking up a small muffin, handing the baker the proper amount for it.

"We can only wait." The baker said, grabbing the coins from the dish and placing them into a small jar he had sat on the ground.

The three sighed and stared up st the ivory castle on the hill.

Meanwhile inside the castle, the halls were bustling with activity.

Servants running to and fro in preparation for the child that was soon to come.

A short, red-haired male in his teens- approached the Queen with several fabrics varying in shades of blues and pinks.

"Will these do, your highness?" He asked.

"Ah, Hongjoong, pink and blue are so boring don't you think? What if.. we did shades of red and purple?" The Queen gasped with a gentle smile.

Hongjoong tilted his head in thought before smile and nodding his head yes.

"Those are brilliant ideas, your highness." He said.

Hongjoong bent over to bow to the Queen, but before he could even lean over she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Hongjoong, please, I've known you since you turned sixteen, there's no need to bow to me." She laughed.

"Ah, right, I apologize." Hongjoong awkwardly giggled before turning to leave the Queens quarters.

"Yuna, you truly are too kind." Another gentle voice called.

"Well, you don't get anywhere with snide remarks or rude gestures now do you, Yong-ah?" The Queen smiled at her husband, Yongho, and embraced him in a warm hug.

"I suppose you're correct, my love." The King smiled and placed a gentle hand on his wife's stomach.

"Think, in nine months, we're going to have an heir." The King said.

"Oh yeah? What makes you so sure they're going to be a boy? What if our child is a girl?" The Queen asked with a small smile.

"Well, the kingdom would just have to be reigned by a Queen instead of a King." The King smiled, causing the Queen to let out a hearty laugh.

The two were interrupted by a gentle knock on the open door.

"I'm sorry to bother you again, your highness, but may I quickly take your measurements?" Hongjoong asked.

"Oh of course." The Queen smiled and beckoned Hongjoong over to her.

He made his way over to her and pulled out a small worn measuring tape, wrapping it around the Queens chest, arms, and neck.

"Would you like me to make you an Empire Dress, your highness?" Hongjoong asked, writing down all the measurements.

"I don't see why not." The Queen said, subconsciously placing a hand over her slowly swelling stomach.

Hongjoong smiled and left the room again.

The Queen turned to her husband and sighed.

"Nine months." She smiled.

"Nine months." The King said, mirroring his wife's smile.

♡

Four months pass, the King and Queen are sat upon their thrones, gently watching over the party.

The Queen was dressed in a powder blue Empire Dress that Hongjoong made her several weeks ago.

The King was dressed in a white, flowy cotton shirt as the summer heat was nearly baking everyone alive, a pair of thin, black pants and his leather boots.

The Queen looked over to her husband with a warm smile and grabbed his hand.

"Five more months.." She whispered.

"When do you think they're due?"

"Most likely some time in August. Why do you ask?"

"We must start preparing their clothing then." The King said, smiling.

The Queen let out a hearty laugh, leaning onto her husband's shoulder.

"You wish to see clothes for a babe whom we don't even know the gender of? My dear your crown must be on too tight." The Queen laughed.

The King laughed with her and stood up off his throne.

"Would you like to dance with me, my dear?" He asked, holding his hand out.

The Queen accepted and lightly stepped down the steps towards the center of the room.

The Queen and King slowly started to waltz with the music the band was playing, smiling at eachother and leaving small pecks on eachothers foreheads and hands.

They continue dancing the night away with the villagers and spend the next four months in bliss.

By now the Queen was eight months pregnant, the baby due sometime in the following weeks.

She was walking down a hall, the cool autumn breeze flowing in through the open windows, when she suddenly felt sick.

She called for one of the guards that was patrolling nearby, and was escorted to her room.

The doctor said she had fallen sick, and it would be a miracle if she were to survive.

The King tended to her every need for the next three weeks, and by now it was August fifteenth.

The Queen was due any day.

She longingly looked out the window with sunken eyes.

The Queen had drastically lost weight, yet she still ate as much as she could to make sure her baby wasn't malnourished, and would be delivered happy and healthy.

Her cheekbones were prominent in her once squishy and round face.

Her right hand rested in her husband's hand, while her left was placed gently on her swollen stomach.

"My love." She called out quietly.

"Yes, my Queen?" The King responded.

"Call Hongjoong in.. please." She said.

"Of course."

A few moments pass and Hongjoong appears in the door way.

The Queen slowly turns her head towards him and smiles a gentle smile.

Even though she was thin and sickly, she still glowed and looked as gorgeous as she did the day she was crowned Queen.

"Your highness? You called?" Hongjoong asked nervously.

"I did... Yongho, please let me speak with him alone.." The Queen said.

"Of course." The King said, squeezing her hand and leaving the room.

"May I ask what you need, your highness?" Hongjoong asked, moving closer to the queens bed.

"Please, Hongjoong, call me Yuna." The Queen said.

"As you wish, Yuna." Hongjoong said.

"Hongjoong.. I've known you since you were sixteen, and over these years I've come to feel like a mother towards you. You feel like my son and I mean it when I say this. I Love You." The Queen started, feeling small tears fall from her eyes.

"But, Hongjoong, I'm not sure I'll be able to make it to your nineteenth birthday.." She sobbed, holding a cold, bony hand towards Hongjoongs face, to which he leaned into, crying himself.

"Theres a small box on my vanity, it's a gift I got you last time I went to the Aurora kingdom, go retrieve it and open it here.." The Queen said.

Hongjoong followed her command and quickly found a medium sized box sat on the vanity.

The box was dark blue with gold detailing on the corners.

He brought it to her bed and glanced at her gentle smile before pulling the latch open.

The box split into three sections, the top two splitting apart and opening sideways, while the bottom part stayed as is.

Inside the box was an assortment of beautiful, high-quality sewing supplies.

"Yuna I- thank you! Thank you so much!" Hongjoong cried, gently hugging the Queen and pulling away after a few moments.

"Hongjoong? One more thing."

"Yes your highness?"

"If this baby makes it out alive, please take care of them. Give them the motherly love I couldn't." Yuna smiled through the tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Yes, of course." Hongjoong sniffed, trying to declog his nose.

"Stay with me and my husband for the next few says, will you?" Yuna asked, to which Hongjoong nodded his head.

The King came back into the room and the Queen recapped the conversation, telling her husband that Hongjoong will be the motherly figure in their child's life.

He agreed it was the right choice and sat back down with her.

Three days pass and the Queen goes into labor.

The entire castle is silent, all praying to god that the Queen makes it out alive with the baby.

Several grueling hours later and a baby boy is announced to the kingdom.

The Queen managed to hold her child for at least half an hour before taking her final breath and leaving the world.

Both the King and Hongjoong were by her side as she died.

That day, it felt like the kingdom lost all color, their beloved Queen was gone.

Everyone was happy the baby made it out alive, and still attended the naming ceremony.

"My son, my beautiful heir, I shall name you what your mother wanted." The King said, cradling the small child in his arms.

He made his way towards the front of the room.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce you to Prince Jin Yonghoon." The King said, gently lifting his son towards a sitting position in the small crevice between the King's forearm and upper arm.

The villagers gently bowed their heads and bestowed many gifts for the young prince.

Many had made him clothing from the finest fabrics they could afford, others made him small toys.

The King was grateful for all the brought the prince and soon everyone left the palace and went home.

The King looked at his son and nearly started crying.

"My dear Yonghoon.. you look so much like your mother.." He pulled the baby into a gentle hug and made a promise he intended to never break.

"I will protect you from all harm."

♡


	2. 1

♡

The kingdom was bustling with excitement.

Preparations for the Prince's tenth birthday were in full swing, and the kingdom was lit up with the prettiest lights possible.

Lanterns were hung from long lines of string that crossed from rooftop to rooftop above the streets, as well as small triangular sheets of paper.

Everyone was smiling towards one another and were gingerly decorating their homes and the shops for when the King and Prince came to visit later in the day.

A quaint bakery down mainstreet was entrusted with baking the Prince's cake and extra pastries for the kingdom.

The bakery was run by a young married couple and their two sons.

Their eldest, Kang Hyungu, was helping their mother with whipping milk, sugar, eggs, and artificial dye they made from violets to make frosting.

Their youngest, Kang Taehyun, was helping their father with kneading the dough for cookies, breads and other doughy treats.

"Taehyun-ah, be careful!!" Their father chuckled as he watched his six-year-old nearly drop the bowl of cookie dough.

"Sorry papa.." The small child said, a gentle blush raising to his ears; something that often happened to him.

"Don't be sorry, just be careful." Their father said with a warm smile and continued to knead a large bowl full of dough.

"Hyungu? Son what's on your mind?" Their mother gently asked, rubbing Hyungu's arm.

"Nothing, mother, I'm fine." He replied, briskly whipping the frosting together.

"Nonsense, your eyes dull when you get lost in your thoughts. What's wrong?" She asked again.

"I guess I'm just nervous. The King and Prince are coming into town... what if I get ridiculed for my clothing?" Hyungu looked to his mother with glassy eyes.

"Son, the prince isn't like that. He's a kind spirit and would never ridicule any of us." His mother said, placing her bowl down.

"Your mother's right, son. Theres no need to be anxious." His father chimed from the other side of the bakery.

Hyungu offered his mother a weak smile.

"I guess so.." He said gently before turning back to whipping the frosting.

♡

Noon quickly turned to dusk as the Kang family finished setting up all of the sweets in their rather large stall in the center of town.

Mrs. Kang turned to her sons and handed them six silver pieces each.

"Buy yourself something before the prince arrives. You boys deserve it for being such great helpers today." She said, turning her smiling children around and patting them on the backs to get them to go towards the shops.

The two boys smiled at eachother before clasping their hands together and running off towards Madame Macbre's Toy Shoppe.

They both excitedly opened the door and walked inside, clutching their coins tightly in their tiny hands.

"Welcome young lads, feel free to look around." And old woman said from the corner of the shop.

Taehyun and Hyungu both walked towards the back of the store.

Hyungu picked up a new book he hadn't seen before, but was enticed by the beautiful design on the cover.

While his brother picked up a small squirrel plush and immediately fell in love.

The two walked to the front of the shop and handed their items to the lady.

"Ah, Romeo and Juliette? What a lovely book.. you must be an excellent reader." The woman said, handing Hyungu the book in exchange for his coins.

"I saw the pretty detailing on the cover and thought it would be a nice book.."

"Well son, if I have one thing to tell you, it's to never judge a book by its cover." She said, taking Taehyuns coins and giving him the small squirrel.

He nodded his head and thanked the woman before leaving the shop with his brother and running back to their family's stall.

They showed their parents what they bought and Hyungu was given a curious glance.

He questioned it for a bit but shook it off as he opened the book and started reading.

It felt like an eternity but after ten minutes of reading, the arrival of the King and Prince was announced and everyone made their way to the front of their stalls (or to the streets) to bow to their beloved leader and his son.

The King had become a jolly plump man over the last ten years, most likely an effect of aging.

Behind the King were two tall, somewhat built men with a small boy holding onto both of their hands.

The King laughed and dismissed everyone's bowing.

Everyone stood straight up and greeted the Royal family.

The Prince clung to the short male's leg, hiding his face in his hip.

The King gently frowned and turned to his son.

There were a few whispers exchanged but eventually the King seemed to have won and the Prince let go of the male's leg and took hold of his father's hand.

"Introduce yourself, son." The King gently spoke.

The Prince cleared his throat and tried his best to make his voice loud, but it only came out in a small non-confident voice.

Like a Lion cub doing his best to roar for the first time.

"H-hello, my name is Prince Yonghoon, it's nice to meet you all.." The Prince weakly spoke, letting go of his father's hand to hide behind the male again.

"Please excuse him, this is all new for him." The King said, causing nearly every villager to shake their head in assurance.

Hyungu was captivated by the Prince.

He was slightly taller than Hyungu, had fair skin and beautiful brown hair that fell just before his eyes.

The Prince was dressed in what looked to be a handmade silk button up and black slacks.

Hyungu was curious as to why the Prince was so timid, but rid himself of that curiosity as his mother brought him and his brother back behind the stall.

"Well then, shall we begin the festivities?" The King asked with a large smile, which caused several cheers come from the crowd of townspeople.

The Prince looked like a deer that was caught by a hunter, he looked like he felt out of place and uncomfortable, constantly clinging to the two men.

Hyungu could've sworn the prince called them "momma" and "papa" at times, but it was lip-reading and he wasn't too sure.

He eventually felt overwhelmed by all the lights and chatter coming from all directions and decided to break away from the crowd and go to the place he always goes to when he needed to be alone.

He told his mother who handed him a lantern and he set off towards the woods behind his home.

He made his way to a small moonlit clearing and sat down on a smooth rock near a pond and decided to continue reading until he felt ready to go back to the festival.

Surely it wouldn't hurt?

♡


	3. 2

♡

After an hour, Hyungu fell asleep.

The small book was resting in his left hand, his right hand hanging off the side of the rock and gently resting in the clear pond, his head was lolled to the side and he was peacefully snoring.

The scene looked like it came straight from his little brothers fantasy books.

A young maiden (or in his case, a young lad) gently strewn across a flat rock, skin being lit up by the moon and surrounded by a calm aura.

That is- until he shuffled off the edge of the rock into the pond.

He thrashed around and immediately stood up from the freezing water.

He frantically looked into the water and couldn't find his book, until he saw it resting on a smaller rock just in front of the pond.

He sighed in relief and stepped out of the pond, cringing at his soaking socks.

He grabbed his book from the spine (in order to protect the pages) and set off on the path he took to get to his clearing.

Once he made it back home, he kicked his shoes off and walked up the steps in the back of their bakery to get to his room.

He finally stepped into his room and peeled off all of his wet clothing, placing it in a small box to be washed later on in the week.

Hyungu gently placed his book on the small box next to his bed and turned to his small armoir he and his father built two years ago.

He pulled out his normal clothing, a creme undershirt with poofy sleeves, a brown jacket to place over it and dark grey slacks and socks.

He threw put on another pair of shoes and set off downstairs.

He exited the shop and made his way back downtown where he could still hear music and laughter.

He quickly located his little brother sitting behind their stand and rushed over to him.

"Hyungie!!" The small child shrieked with excitement.

"Hey bubba." Hyungu smiled at his little brother, ruffling his hair and standing up to locate his mother.

He saw her and his father bringing around trays of sweets they made earlier in the day.

Hyungu lightly smiled when he made eye contact with his mother and looked back down at his brother.

"Are you having fun, Tae?" He asked, patting his head.

Taehyun excitedly nodded his head yes and continued to fiddle with his squirrel plush.

Hyungu smiled at him and sat down on one of the stools they had behind the stand.

He looked out at the crowd and sighed. 

He knew it was probably selfish, yet he couldn't feel joy in celebrating the tenth birthday of the Prince.

He frowned and sighed again, crossing his arms and leaning towards the table, resting both of his forearms on the splintering cedar wood.

His eyes wandered over toward the Prince himself, and he noticed the fear laced behind the boy's eyes.

He still hadn't let go of either of the men he was with- Hyungu had managed to figure out that they were his Royal Advisers.

He felt slightly bad for the young Prince, he obviously didn't want to be here.

Hyungu scoffed, that makes two of us.

People continued to laugh and celebrate long into the night, Taehyun was slowly falling asleep on Hyungu's lap, cradling his squirrel.

Hyungu gently smiled at his brother and gently pat his head.

Hyungu's mother came over to the stand and asked him to take Taehyun home to put him to bed.

Hyungu agreed and shook his brother awake, taking the groggy six-year-old back home.

He brought his brother upstairs and helped him change into his nightwear.

The boy clutched his squirrel close to his chest and quickly fell back asleep. 

Hyungu turned to his side of the room and changed into his own nightwear, and laying down, soon falling into the peaceful dreamworld.

♡

"H-hyungie I don't wanna be here.." The small Prince mumbled.

"I know bubs, but you gotta, okay? Just for a few more hours." The taller male told him.

"I wanna just celebrate it with you guys, like we always do.." The Prince muttered again.

"Its just because you've turned ten, hon. I promise we'll celebrate together next year." The shorter male said, clutching the Prince in his arms.

The Prince frowned and held on to his advisor tightly.

His advisor and his husband had both raised him for the past ten years, his father- the king- hardley ever spent any time with him.

But, Yonghoon understood why he doesn't spend time with him.

He has to maintain the kingdom, as well as maintaining the peace with the other kingdoms, so it's probably stressful.

Besides, Hongjoong and Seonghwa feel like real parents to him anyway.

♡


	4. 3

♡

After what felt like centuries, the King finally bid adieu to the palace, making his son do the same before they retreated to their carriage.

The King let a gentle smile fall upon his face and glanced towards his son, who was picking at his nail beds.

"Son, did you have fun?" The King asked with a gentle tone.

Yonghoon met his father's gaze and gently nodded, "Yes, I did. Thank you for taking me into town."

"You were clinging onto Hongjoong and Seonghwa the entire time, it made me think you hated the celebration the kingdom prepared for you." The King said, looking out the window.

An awkward silence fell upon the carriage before the young Prince spoke.

"Papa?"

"Yes, son?"

"Can we visit Mama's grave before we enter the castle?"

Another silence.

The King let a gentle smile fall on his face.

"Of course we can."

The carriage ride home was silent, apart from the loud clacking of the wooden wheels.

Hongjoong eventually came around from the front of the carriage to open the door for the King and Prince.

"Hongjoong, we'll be visiting Yuna's grave tonight. Would you like to accompany us?" The King asked the small male.

"Of course, your majesty." Hongjoong said with a small gasp of air.

As far as Yonghoon could tell, Hongjoong was close with his mother. He would always tell him tales of his mother and how he got all of his beauty from her, yet, when he looked in the mirror, he didn't see beauty.

He saw a person who killed his own mother right after he was born.

The three made their way towards the graveyard that was in the gardens, and quietly made their way towards the largest grave in the center.

They all stopped and the King kneeled down in front of it.

"Yuna...your son turned ten today, I brought him with me too. I also brought Hongjoong, in case you missed him.." the King muttered, tears pricking his eyes.

Yonghoon stared blankly at the grave, whispering a gentle "I'm sorry, mama." Before he grabbed Hongjoongs hand and nudged himself between his arm and torso.

He could feel Hongjoongs body shake, signifying he started crying.

"Y-your highness." He cleared his throat, trying his best to sound normal, "Would you like me to put Yonghoon to bed?"

"Of course, Hongjoong. I'll call for Jooheon to escort me back home."

Hongjoong nodded and lead Yonghoon down the path they came and towards the palace.

"Ma- hyung?" Yonghoon asked, clutching Hongjoongs hand.

"Yes, Hoon?" Hongjoong chuckled at the near slip-up.

"Is it my fault?" Yonghoon asked again.

"Is what your fault?"

"Mama's passing. Is it my fault."

"What? No, of course not! Your mother got sick and was well aware of the risk she took in order to have you, you're a blessing upon us all and it will never be your fault! Your carry your mother spirit and you help keep everyone sane." Hongjoong said, kneeling in front of the Prince and placed both hands on his shoulders, looking him straight in the eye before hugging him.

"We love you, Yonghoon. All of us. Me, Seonghwa, your Father, the bakers, the guards, everyone. You mean the world to us." Hongjoong added on after pulling away from the small boy.

Yonghoon, for the first time in forever, let another person see him cry.

Hongjoong sighed and wiped his cheeks with a gentle hand.

"Come on, if we stay out any longer we'll get sick." Hongjoong said, grabbing Yonghoon's hand and leading him through the small door that led to the servants quarters of the palace.

"I believe Seonghwa is in our room, would you like me to go get him while you change into your nightwear?" Hongjoong asked once they reached the young Prince's room.

Yonghoon gently nodded his head, sitting in a small bench in front of his rather large bed and pulled his shoes off his feet.

With much struggle he finally got out of the tight stuffy clothing and into his airy nightwear, just in time for Hongjoong and Seonghwa to knock on his door.

He gently padded over and opened it, peering up at his two parent-like figures.

He moved to the side and they came in.

"Did you have a nice day?" Seonghwa asked, though he already knew the answer.

Yonghoon sighed and mumbled out a 'no', causing Seonghwa and Hongjoong to look at eachother.

"Well, I feel like we can make it better.." Hongjoong said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small box.

"The night before your mother passed, she called me into her room, completely in private, even your father didn't know about it," Hongjoong started, handing the box to Yonghoon.

"She told me to give you this when I felt it was right..and I feel like right now, is the right time." Hongjoong finished, motioning for Yonghoon to open it.

Yonghoon gently undid the ribbon and lifted the top of the box, peering down at it.

In the box, was a small note, and a necklace with a tiny heart and a swan charm on it.

He picked up the note and read it aloud.

"My dear Yonghoon, Hello my love! How have you been recently? Have you been okay with just your Father and Hongjoong? I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you... as I'm not sure when Hongjoong will give you this, i just want to say I love you. And I always will, Love, Mom." 

Yonghoon placed the note down and started to wipe at his cheeks, trying to get himself to stop crying as soon as possible.

"She really did love you, Yongie." Hongjoong said, leaning into Seonghwa's side.

"Even though she didn't know you, I could tell she loved you."

Yonghoon put the necklace on and placed the box on the table next to his bed.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa both gave him a kiss on the cheek, wishing him a goodnight before leaving the room and walking towards theirs.

"He's a good kid, Joong. I can tell he'll be just like his father." Seonghwa said, watching as his lover changed and laid in their bed.

"I hope so, Hwa, I really hope so." Hongjoong said, giving his husband a kiss before blowing out the candles on their nightstand and cuddling up next to him, drifting off to sleep.

♡


	5. Phoenix-Han

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix-Han

Yonghoon couldn't sleep that night.

He stayed awake, rereading his mothers note over and over.

He sat at his desk in the far corner of his room, staring down at the gentle, swirly strokes of black ink.

He could help but fiddle with the swan charm on the necklace his mother gave him.

Why was it there? Were Swans her favorite animal?

He stared at the delicate gold chain necklace, and brought it up around his neck to put it back on.

That night, he swore to himself he would never take it off, as long as he shall live, and will continue to wear it after he passes on.

♡

Two years pass and Hyungu is now ten years old.

He pads down the stairs of his home right as the sun rises, and leaves a small, hastily written note for his parents on the front counter.

He puts on his shoes and opens the door, walking out into the empty street, save for a few drunk husbands on there way home from the pubs.

Hyungu quietly walks down the streets, looking around the kingdom he knew so well.

He stopped walking when he reached a tall house, turning to make his way up the steps and gently tapped the door.

It swung open and he flinched, as did the boy inside.

"Harin, are you trying to get us caught?" Hyungu asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

The boy smiled sheepishly and stumbled out of his home, making sure to gently shut the door.

"Where to today?" Harin asked once they made their way down the street.

"I was thinking we could head to that pond I'm always telling you about." Hyungu said as they turned left down the street that lead into town.

"Ah, the pond you fell in on the Prince's birthday?" Harin asked, nearly tripping over a tiny misplaced stone on the street.

"Yes, and very careful you giant klutz." Hyungu scolded.

"Hey I'm older than you!"

"By eight months!"

"I'm still older than you!!"

The two laughed and made their way into the forest and towards Hyungu's tiny clearing.

Harin managed to fall over twice on the way towards the clearing, yet both times he got up and said "I'm good." With a smile and continued walking.

They reached the clearing- which now had little baskets of food, pillows, books and blankets- and Hyungu let a gentl smile rest on this face.

"Dang no wonder you like it here so much, it's so peaceful." Harin said, sitting on the giant rock.

"You should see it at night, its completely illuminated by the moon and looks like it came straight out of a fairy tale." Hyungu gushed, sitting on the rock with Harin.

The two laughed and rough housed until they decided it was time to go home before they were out for too long.

Hyungu gently hid a book he took from his mother earlier in the week in his basket, and turned to leave with Harin.

"We have to go back there every weekend, Hyungu." Harin said, placing his hands on Hyungu's shoulders.

"You don't need to be so serious about it, we're best friends! You can go back there whenever you want." Hyungu said, wiggling out of Harin's grip.

Harin chuckled and the two walked back to the town center.

"Hey, did you know the King is already trying to find suitors for the Prince?" Harin asked, breaking the silence.

"Seriously? Isn't Prince Yonghoon twelve?" Hyungu asked in disbelief.

"That's what I asked my parents! Apparently it's been causing arguments between the Prince and the King." Harin said.

"I mean it's understandable, the King had never really paid much attention to his feelings anyway." Hyungu hastily said.

"Hey hey hey, I know it may look like a bad relationship when they're in public together but trust me, they love eachother." Harin said.

"How do you even know that?" Hyungu asked.

"My cousin is training to become a part of the royal quartet, the King brought his son along to the auditions and he saw them smiling together." Harin said.

"This is the same cousin who has a crush on that Dongmyeong kid that's always coming to the shop?"

"Yup!"

Hyungu laughed at Harin's perkiness and gave him a hug goodbye once they reached his home.

"Good luck with learning piano, Harin!" Hyungu waved at the boy who soon dissapeared behind the giant oak door that opened to his home.

Hyungu continued to walk back to his house.

He opened the front door and shouted "I'm home!" Into the building.

No response.

He called out again, still.no response.

He got scared and decided to try and look for his family.

A fluttery feeling settled deep in the pit of his stomach, and he started to scratch at his nail beds, a nervous tic hes always had.

He ventured up the steps towards their rooms and looked I to his first, seeing his brother still splayed out in bed.

He sighed in relief and turned to his parents room, he opened the door and didnt see anyone in there.

That's when he really started panicking.

He rushed back towards his room and shook his brother awake.

"Hyun-ah? Hyun!" He started shouting, fear overtaking all of his senses and tears pricking at his eyes.

"Mmn? What's wrong?" Taehyun mumbled groggily.

"Where are mama and papa?" Hyungu asked in a panicked tone.

"They went to market, did you not see their note on the counter?" Taehyun grumbled.

Relief washed over Hyungu's body and he blinked his tears away.

"Oh- okay, go back to sleep hyunnie." Hyungu said, patting Taehyuns head and leaving the room.

He rushed back down stairs and saw the note.

"Hi boys, we're going to the market for some ingredients, be safe, we'll be home soon!" Is what the note said.

Hyungu let out an airy chuckle and slumped against the counter, attempting to calm his racing heart and mind.

♡


	6. Phoenix-Han

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix-Han

♡

"Son you must!"

"I don't want to! I'm sixteen!! I should be allowed to enjoy the last few years of my youth without having to worry about getting married to a woman I don't even love!" The Prince exclaimed, getting annoyed with his father's nagging about a wife.

The fact is, he doesn't even like women. Hes always pictured himself with a man.

"Why son!? Are the women we're retrieving not pretty enough? Are they too rude? Do we need to look farther-" the King was interrupted by his son slamming his hands on the long red wood table. 

"I like men, father!" He shouted, his voice echoing through the dining hall.

The two were enveloped in a thick silence, neither of them saying a single word.

"I like..men." the Prince said again, but quieter.

The King looked at his son and sighed.

"Well it's understandable, considering you were partially raised by Hongjoong and his husband. I wouldn't be surprised if they rubbed off on you." The King said, placing his steak knife down on his plate.

Yonghoon scoffed and sat down, crossing his arms.

"My preferences have nothing to do with them. Women have never appealed to me, I've always been more attracted to the boys in the village. Like that baker from my tenth birthday!" Yonghoon said, waving his arms all over the place. 

"Son, you're still a teenager, I'm sure you're just confused. Go to bed, Hongjoong is taking you to town tomorrow to see if anyone catches your eye."

"Father I don't want to get married yet! I want to marry because I love my spouse, not because you said I have to." Yonghoon huffed.

"Son, I won't be here forever. Is it so much that I just want to see you in a happy, stable relationship? Is it so much to ask you to get married and have children who will one day take over the throne?"

"Father what don't you understand about the fact that I don't want to marry a woman!?" Yonghoon stood up, causing his chair to be tossed put from behind him.

"Jin Yonghoon, I like to believe that I've been rather lenient with allowing you to get married to someone from the village, but I will not let you throw your life away for some boy." The King said.

Yonghoon glared at his father before kicking his chair over and storming out of the dining hall.

He waited until he got to his room, slamming the doors as hard as he could, before letting a few angry tears fall from his face.

He started pacing back and forth in his room, attempting to not break anything.

He sat on his bed and held his face in his hands.

He felt something warm and fluffy sit against his thigh.

He looked down and sighed at his Ragdoll kitten. 

"Oh, Lotus.. what do I do? I tried telling father I liked men but he didn't accept it.. I thought he would react the same way Hongjoong and Seonghwa did.." Yonghoon sighed, laying down with the cat in his chest.

Lotus jumped up and pranced towards Yonghoons balcony, scratching at the door.

"Lotus, you know I can't take you out there, it's too high up off-" Yonghoon stopped mid-sentence, an idea coming to him.

"Oh Lotus you're a genius!" Yonghoon exclaimed, scooping up his cat and peppering kisses on her head.

He placed the cat down on his bed and turned to his armoire, pulling out his long brown cloak and pulling on a pair of boots.

"Lotus, daddy will be back by morning. There are trees outside my room I can climb on to get out and back in. I'll see you soon!" Yonghoon said excitedly as he opened his balcony doors and stepped out into the cool air.

He gently shut them again ensuring that they were unlocked before turning to the large oak tree and grabbing on to the nearest branch and shimmied down the tree trunk.

He snuck around the gardens and towards the back wall, climbing up the vines.

Yonghoon leapt over the palace wall, quickly ducking under a bush and hiding from the patrolling guards.

"Did you hear that?" A guard asked to another.

"No, I didn't. What did you hear?" The other asked.

"I dunno, it came from behind us. I'm gonna check it out." The guard said.

Yonghoon moved as fast as he could to move towards another bush, having a sigh of relief when the guard checked a different bush.

"What was it?"

"I think it was just a bunny."

He waited a few moments and managed to get into the woods near the back of the palace and started running as fast as he could.

He stopped when he reached a large moonlit clearing.

There was a pond in the very center, and the water didn't look muddy at all.

There were baskets of blankets, books, some food and a few pillows placed around the large flat rock that sat in front of the pond.

Yonghoon could see a few koi fish swimming around the pond, each a beautiful pearlescent red and white.

He smiled and made his way towards the rock, sitting on top of it and catching his breath.

"Who are you?" A slightly scared voice asked.

Yonghoon nearly fell into the pond before turning towards the voice.

He saw a slightly younger boy looking at him with wide eyes.

The boy was wearing rather loose clothing, leading Yonghoon to belive he snuck out in his nightwear, and he had dark brown hair to match his lightly Auburn colored eyes.

"I asked you a question." The boy said.

"Uh, I'm- um- my name is uh-" Yonghoon started stuttering, causing the boy to cock an eyebrow.

"My name is Hwanwoong!" Yonghoon said, saying the first name that came to mind.

"Hwanwoong? That's weird. That's my uncle's name." The boy said, hesitantly walking towards Yonghoon.

"Say, Hwanwoong.. how old are you?"

"I uh- I just turned sixteen in August." Yonghoon said nervously. 

"Why are you so nervous I'm not gonna bite you. I'm Hyungu, I'm about it turn fifteen next week." The boy, now identified and Hyungu said, holding out his hand to shake.

Yonghoon lifted his shaky hand and shook Hyungu's. 

"It's nice to meet you, Hyungu."

"May I ask why you're here? I could've sworn only Harin and I knew about this place, unless Harin told you himself." 

"Uh, no I never met Harin. I fought with my father and ran out of the pa- the house." Yonghoon said, catching himself before he exposed the fact that he's royalty.

"What about you? Why are you out here so late?" Yonghoon asked Hyungu.

"It's not that late? The clock on main street said it was only ten thirty." Hyungu said.

"That's still relatively late, aren't those your night clothes?"

Hyungu went silent and looked to the side, gently sitting next to Yonghoon on the rock.

"I like to come here at night, it's a lot prettier than it is during the day." Hyungu said after a few moments of silence.

"Do you mind me asking why you and your father were fighting?"

"Ah, well. My old man wants me to get married to the daughter of his coworker and have kids, but I told him I liked men more than women and he told me that I was only like this because my big brother liked men before he was kicked out.." Yonghoon said, only fudging the truth a little bit.

"Oh that's horrible.. what was your brothers name?" Hyungu asked, grabbing onto Yonghoons hand.

"Ah, his name was Hongjoong.. he honestly felt more like a parent to me than my own parents.. his husband too." Yonghoon said, letting out a sad laugh.

"Hongjoong? I think my dad grew up with him. He said he was turned out of his house when he was thirteen." Hyungu said, letting go of Yonghoons hands and staring at him with a curious look.

"Ah, must be a different Hongjoong then." Yonghoon nervously laughed.

"Hm, I guess so.." Hyungu yawned.

"Are you tired?" Yonghoon asked as the boy leaned his head on his shoulders.

"Mm no.."

Yonghoon gently leaned his own head on Hyungu's. 

"You wanna know what I think, Hwanwoong?" Hyungu asked.

"Hm?"

"I think you look an awful lot like the prince." Hyungu said before standing up and staring Yonghoon in the eye.

"What- what do you mean?"

"I mean that you're the same age, you were born in the same month and you have the same face, voice and height. That's a little suspicious don't you think? So tell me, Hwanwoong who are you?" Hyungu said, glaring at the boy on the rock.

Yonghoon sighed and looked at his hands.

"I'm sorry for lying to you." He said quietly, picking at his nail beds.

"Well, why did you?"

"I didn't want to tell you I was the prince in fear of you making a scene."

"I've never been much of a fan." Hyungu said, crossing his arms.

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, I always that you were some stuck up posh boy who didn't appreciate what his father did for him. Tell me, your story, was that true?" Hyungu asked again.

"Yeah. My father told me that I was confused about who I liked so I got mad and snuck out.."

Hyungu laughed at the Prince before walking over to one of his baskets and pulling out two chocolates chip cookies, handing one to the Prince.

"Knowing you ran from your father just because you like men seems to make me like you a little bit more, Princy." Hyungu said before taking a bite of his cookie.

The clock tower chimed after a few more minutes, signaling it was now eleven o'clock.

"I think you should get home before someone notices you're missing, Princy." Hyungu said, turning to Yonghoon and picking lint off of his cloak.

"I have a name you know."

"I know."

Yonghoon laughed before standing up and brushing his pants off and heading back into the woods.

"Hey Princy!" Hyungu called out to Yonghoon, causing him to turn around and look at him questioningly.

"How about you come back tomorrow night?" Hyungu asked, getting a smile and a nod from the Prince before he disappeared into the woods for the night.

Hyungu smiled to himself, grabbing another cookie and biting into it.

♡

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so they finally meet!
> 
> I hope you're enjoying the story so far <3


	7. Six

♡

Yonghoon took the same path he used to leave the palace to get back.

Both of the guards had left their post, possibly to change out with another set of guards.

Yonghoon ran up to the wall and did his best to grab the top of it, thanking his long limbs when he was successful.

He snuck his way through the gardens and towards the tree right behind his room.

He did his absolute best climbing up the sticky bark and shimmied his way across the branch that he used to get down.

Once he landed on the balcony safely, he quietly opened the doors and walked into the room, quickly shutting them again and taking off his cloak.

"Hey Princy! Why don't you come back tomorrow night?" 

Hyungu's words echoed through the Prince's head and he smiled to himself.

He finally had an escape from being a Prince, and hopefully a friend.

He kicked his boots off, throwing his cloak to the side and flopping on his bed.

Lotus came over and curled up on his chest.

"Lotus, you won't believe what happened tonight! I met this boy who seems to just be a year or so younger than I am, and he wants me to visit him again tomorrow!" Yonghoon exclaimed in a hushed tone, gently stroking the kitten.

The cat started purring and licking Yonghoons fingers, causing the teen to giggle at his cat and plant a kiss on her head.

Yonghoon and Lotus fell asleep quickly, gently snoring throughout the night.

♡

True to his word, Yonghoon snuck out the next night.

He was walking through the gardens, gently breathing in the cool air.

He was slightly ticked off because his father had told him there would be four female suitors coming from neighboring kingdoms within the next week.

"Seriously, what doesn't that old man get?" He mumbled to himself.

"Get what?" A voice asked from behind Yonghoon, causing the boy to leap put of his skin.

"Ah- Hongjoong- hi-" he gasped, placing a hand over his chest and bending over.

"Where are you going, Yongie?" Hongjoong asked, crossing his arms.

"Uh.. the... woods?" Yonghoon said quietly.

"The woods? Why?" Hongjoong asked, moving toward the sixteen-year-old. 

"Because, I wanna meet a friend-"

"Who is this friend and why are they in the woods?"

"His.. his name is Hyungu. I'm pretty sure his parents are bakers or librarians, he has this small clearing in the center of the woods filled with books, blankets and food."

Hongjoong looked at the boy before sighing and pulling him into a hug, catching Yonghoon off-guard.

"Yong, please don't take this weird but you've always felt like a son to me and Seonghwa.." Hongjoong said, gently patting Yonghoons head.

Yonghoon was entirely too confused to understand what was happening, he decided it was best to let Hongjoong do what he wanted to do.

When Hongjoong pulled away he moved a few strands of the Prince's hair.

"The King came to my room last night and told me and Hwa what you told him. Obviously we accept you, and if things take a turn for the worst, find us. We'll go from there." Hongjoong said, planting a kiss on Yonghoons forehead and leaving him alone in the gardens.

"What in the world..." Yonghoon mumbled before continuing on his way to the back wall.

Climbing over didn't seem as hard as it was the previous night, and he easily escaped the guards.

He walked through the woods in a calm pace, finally stopping at the entrance of the clearance. 

There, right in front of him, was Hyungu.

He was laying on the rock, sat on a few pillows and covered in blankets. 

He was reading a beaten up book with roses on the cover, his face beautifully lit up by the full moon.

Yonghoon found himself breathless in his presence.

"I can't tell if there's something on my face or if you've caught feelings for me, princy." Hyungu said, looking up from his book and smiling at Yonghoon.

Yonghoon felt his heart speed up and his cheeks heated up.

He cleared his throat and looked away from Hyungu, causing the boy to look away from him.

"C'mere I wanna show you something." Hyungu said.

Yonghoon pulled the hood of his cloak down and walked towards Hyungu, sitting on the rock.

Hyungu bet over the rock and grabbed a satchel.

"I hope you don't mind but I told my little brother I met you, the little stink didn't believe me and demanded I have you write him a note." Hyungu chuckled while he recalled the memory, handing Yonghoon a small sheet of parchment, ink, and a feather pen.

"What do you want me to tell him?" Yonghoon asked, pulling the lid of the ink pot off and dipping the feather pen into the tiny jar.

"Well, his name is Taehyun so.. whatever you want I guess." Hyungu said after a few minutes of thinking.

"Does he play any instruments?"

"He started playing the harp like two years ago."

"Hm, I think I know what I'll write then."

Yonghoon gently scribbled on the parchment and handed everything back to Hyungu, who started reading the note.

"You want him to go to the palace and play for you!?" Hyungu exclaimed, getting hushed by Yonghoon nearly immediately after.

"Well yeah, why not?" Yonghoon smiled.

"What the hell is your father going to say!? I doubt you're telling him you're sneaking out at night to-"

"I ran into Hongjoong on my way here, weird encounter by the way, but I'll just say he heard him play and recommended him to me." Yonghoon said with a sly smile.

Hyungu opened his mouth and closed it a few times before letting out a weak "wow." and placing the parchment in his satchel.

"So, you never told me when your birthday was."

"Didn't I tell you it was in a few weeks?"

"You didn't tell me the exact date, bookworm."

"Bookworm?"

"Coz your rock is surrounded with books."

Hyungu snorted and let out a loud laugh, throwing his head back and holding onto his stomach.

"What- what's so funny?" Yonghoon nervously laughed.

"That was so- that was adorable!" Hyungu kept laughing.

"Adorable? I'm Prince Jin Yonghoon! I am anything but adorable!" Yonghoon exclaimed, standing up off the rock and pulling a heroic pose, causing Hyungu to laugh harder.

"Oh princy, you really are something else." Hyungu sighed, wiping a tear from his eye.

Yonghoon smiled at Hyungu before sitting down again.

Hyungu spun around on the rock and laid his head in Yonghoons lap, looking up at him.

Yonghoon looked down at Hyungu, a faint blush dancing across his cheeks.

"November twenty-fourth. My birthday is tomorrow." Hyungu said softly.

"So you lied to me?" Yonghoon said with an airy chuckle.

"I didn't lie, I just fudged the truth." Hyungu said, smiling.

The two stared at eachother for a while.

"Why do I feel all tingly when I speak to you?" Yonghoon asked.

"We've only spoken twice, Yonghoon." Hyungu said with a chuckle.

"I know but- nevermind, let's just drop it." Yonghoon blushed harder, looking up and away from Hyungu.

"Awe, princy do you have a crush on me~" Hyungu cooed, sitting up from Yonghoons lap and poking his cheek.

"N-no."

"You stuttered, you totally do! That's adorable my gosh-" Hyungu gushed.

"I- I do not!" Yonghoon shouted, highly embarrased with the situation.

Hyungu laughed again and pat Yonghoon on the head.

He stood up off the rock and stretched. 

"So who were the two men you were clinging to on your tenth birthday?" Hyungu asked.

Yonghoon stared at him before registering his question.

"Ah, the short one was Hongjoong and the tall one who kind of looks like a dragon is his husband, Seonghwa." Yonghoon explained.

"Well that explains who they are, but why were you clinging to them?" Hyungu asked again.

"Hongjoong is my Advisor, he was like a son to my mother, though he feels more like a mother to me. Both of them feel like my real parents. I don't think I would have turned out the way I did if it wasn't for them." Yonghoon said, faintly smiling.

Hyungu looked at him, feeling something ignite within his heart.

Probably heartburn.

The clock chimed eleven times and Hyungu looked at Yonghoon.

"Meet me here tomorrow night? I'll bring some pastries from my birthday if you want." Hyungu offered.

Yonghoon nodded his head, standing up and walking toward Hyungu.

He engulfed the shorter in a tight hug.

"Thank you for bringing color to my dull life, Hyungu." Yonghoon said before flipping his hood over his head and turning back towards the woods.

"What...?" Hyungu questioned when he knew Yonghoon was out of hearing range.

Maybe that feeling wasn't heartburn after all... 

♡


	8. Chapter 8

♡

"HE WANTS ME TO WHAT!?" 

"Taehyun calm down!"

"What are Mama and Papa going to think? How are they going to react? How are we going to tell them we got a letter from the prince saying he wants me to play the harp for him???" Taehyun started rambling.

"Relax, Tae. Yonghoon told me that he was going to talk to his advisor and say he heard you during a walk around town."

"I have literally never played in the town." Taehyun said, staring his brother straight in the eye.

"I- well- true... How about you go play tomorrow? Before the party starts!" Hyungu suggested, causing Taehyun to tilt his head in thought before nodding.

"Okay we should probably go to sleep before Mama a d Papa come in and yell at us again." Taehyun laughed, placing the parchment on his small table, laying down and rolling over.

"Night, Hyunnie."

"Night, Tae."

♡

"Yonghoon! Wait up!" Hyungu shouted, quickly running after the Prince.

"You have to catch me first, Hyungu!!" The Prince shouted, running faster.

It was the ninth or tenth time the two boys have met eachother, though they met a little late tonight.

Hyungu heard the clock tower chime twice as he ran deeper and deeper into the dark woods.

He bent over to catch his breath and looked up, laughing.

"Yonghoon!" He called out, standing up and doing a full 360 turn.

Silence.

"Y-Yonghoon...? Come out this isnt funny!" Hyungu shouted into the woods.

Still, there was nothing.

Hyungu felt his vision get cloudy as he sunk to the mossy forest floor, pulling his knees up to his chest and rocking back and forth.

He screamed and screamed for Yonghoon to come out, yet everytime he was met with a neverending silence.

Tears started to rapidly fall down his face as his breathing quickened yet again.

He knew it was too good to be true, afterall, what prince would actively want to hang out with a peasant?

"Hyungu-" he heard a faint voice call.

He looked up from his knees, glancing around the forest.

"Yonghoon?" He whimpered out, the hole in his chest growing smaller with hope.

"Hyungu!" The voice called again.

Hyungu stood up from his seating position and cupped his hands around his mouth, shouting Yonghoons name once more.

"Hyungu wake up!" Taehyun said, pushing his brother out of bed.

Hyungu landed on his shoulder and immediately sat up, rubbing the sore spot.

"What is it, Taehyun!?" Hyungu asked with an annoyed tone.

"Okay, one, rude, two, I woke you up cuz you were having a nightmare, and three, happy fifteenth birthday loser." Taehyun said, crossing his arms and walking out of their room.

Hyungu rolled his eyes and stood up, turning to make his bed.

Once he finally finished getting dressed in his normal white button-up and beige slacks, he placed a creme sweater his grandmother made him over his shirt.

He gently stepped down the stairs, glancing at his brother in the corner of the shop, gently playing his harp.

He saw both of his parents behind the counter, scurrying around before they opened the shop for the day.

"Ah! Hyungu, happy birthday!" His mother chirped, placing a rag on the counter and walking towards her son with wide arms.

She engulfed him in a hug and squeezed him.

"Awe, my little boy is growing so fast." She cooed, pinching her sons face whole scrunching hers up.

Hyungu gently swat at his mothers hands, giggling as she started poking around his body.

The two shared a laugh before his mother walked away, her flats causing a gentle clicking sound against the hardwood flooring. 

He glanced up towards his father and smiled.

"Happy birthday son." He said, smiling and continuing to place down rows of cookies and loafs of bread onto the display shelves.

Hyungu nodded his head and sat down at one of the tables.

"Why don't you go hang out with Harin, Hyunnie?" His mother called out after a few minutes of silence.

"Oh, okay.." Hyungu said before standing up

Hyungu stepped out of the store and into the crisp fall air.

He walked down the cobblestone roads like hes done a million times before, and stopped in front of Harin's house.

He technically didn't have to hang out with Harin...

But would that make him rude? Immoral, even though he wanted to be alone?

At this point he didn't care, he still love Harin, yes, but he wanted to be alone for a while. He'll come back to hang out layer anyway.

He turned on his heel and continued walking down the street towards the woods, of course, since she would much rather be mauled open by a hungry fox than have a human interaction with someone he didn't know.

But, halfway through his walk, he stopped and glanced back at the house.

I'm being quite hypocritical. He thought to himself. A fear of being abandoned yet I'm abandoning my childhood friend?

He slightly frowned and kept walking, finally reaching his destination.

He sat on the giant rock and found a new book waiting for him.

Confused, he picked it up and trailed his hands on the gold leaf detailing on the cover, smiling at the name.

It was a larger version of Romeo & Juliette, the spine hardley even broken in.

He smiled a great big smile and opened the cover of a story he had read a thousand times before, his breath stopping at the small note written in ink.

Happy birthday, Hyungu. Enjoy the book, -Yonghoon.

When did the prince even have the time to leave the book there? He was sure he hadn't seen anything on him as he approached him last night, and he was one-hundred percent sure he watched the prince leave entirely.

He shrugged off the feeling of uneasiness, not letting it ruin the gift.

He turned the page and smiled at the small text written prettily on the parchment, reading through every page until he genuinely felt like he was crouching behind that bush with Romeo, or feeling that moment of dread with Juliette her father told her he wouldn't allow her to see him, and then, the feeling of heartbreak once they both committed suicide.

He gently placed the book in his pastry basket, and covered it with a blanket in case of rain.

He spent the next few hours before sunset at the pond, just staring off into the woods and thinking quietly to hinself.

"Whatcha thinkin about?" A deep voice called from behind him, startling Hyungu out of his deep trance and causing him to fall into the pond.

"Harin! What the heck is wrong with you!?" Hyungu shouted once he got out of the pond.

"Your mom wants you home, she says your cake is almost ready." Harin laughed at his friends misfortune, running away before Hyungu could actually catch him.

Hyungu chased Harin throughout the town, only finally catching him in front of the bakery.

Hyungu panted, still sopping wet as he walked into the bakery.

His mother shrieked at his appearance and told him to change at once.

Hyungu laughed and quickly ran up the stairs and towards his room, changing out of his wet clothes into a nearly identical outfit, only in brown.

He walked downstairs and was immediately met with his family (plus Harin) singing happy birthday to him 

He blew out the candles and thus the festivities of the night started.

Only after Harin grew tired and went home, had the party calmed down.

The family were eating leftover cake when a knock echoed through the empty bakery.

"Ah, we're closed for tonight!" Hyungu's father shouted towards the door.

"I'm here on account of the Prince." The knocker said.

The family looked at eachother before Hyungu got up to answer the door.

He was met with three people; One, a tall, dragon looking man, Another a short male, clinging to the taller one and the last one being, Prince Jin Yonghoon himself.

♡

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didnt know how to end this chapter help

**Author's Note:**

> So, whaddya think?
> 
> Hongjoong is gonna be a really important character in this story so make sure you keep an eye on him.


End file.
